Toyota TS030 HYBRID

This new hybrid from Toyota we’re talking about is actually pretty darn cool. You see it’s not a road car, but an LMP1 race ar for this year’s Le Mans 24 hours.

The team is fielding two TS030 HYBRID cars in the elite LMP1 class, equipped with Toyota’s new THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System – Racing) powertrain, developed specifically for motorsport. The race will mark the culmination of an intense period of preparation, during which the new technology has been tested and refined ready to take on one of motorsport’s greatest challenges.

The hybrid powertrain has been produced by the Toyota’s motorsport division at Higashifuji in Japan, and the TS030 HYBRID chassis has been developed and manufactured by Toyota Motorsport (TMG) in Cologne, Germany.TMGis the team’s home base and also provides the on-track personnel. This car’s only problem is Audi’s new hybrid LMP1 car, the R18 e-tron.

Toyota press release:

Toyota Racing will write a new chapter in the history of hybrid motorsport next week when it takes part in the 80th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours (13 – 17 June).A key decision has been to fit a Denso rear hybrid motor within the gearbox casing. The car also makes good use of regenerative braking, with energy recovered and stored in super capacitors, located in the cockpit. This can then be used to provide extra boost on the exit from corners (up to 500Kj between braking zones, as dictated by competition rules).

Since it first turned a wheel on 13 January, the TS030 HYBRID has completed 18 test days, most of them at Paul Ricard in France, but also at MotorLand Aragon (Spain), Magny-Cours (France) and Le Mans itself.

Despite the challenges of optimising such new technology, and the loss of one chassis in a testing accident, progress has been rapid and Toyota Racing heads for Le Mans with the aim of continuing its development programme while at the same time proving the performance potential of the THS-R system.

The environmental dimension of Toyota Racing’s participation at Le Mans will be further supported by Yamaha Motor Europe, which will be providing 16 EC-03 electric scooters for team use in the race paddock. This partnership sees Yamaha become an official supplier to Toyota Racing.